Technology Plan: PWCS

Technology Plan Project: Prince William County Schools VA

Technology Plan: PWCS

Table of Contents

Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4 Question 5 Question 6 Question 7 Question 8 Question 9 Question 10 Question 11 Question 12 References

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Technology Plan: PWCS

For this report, I am using the technology plan from Prince William County Schools in Virginia. We are going through a transition phase in our district. Some parts of the plan have been updated and reflected on our website while other portions, policies, and procedures are still in their original form or unwritten in nature. The plan is strategic but only labeled as 20102011. There was no formal Instructional Technology leadership in the 2011-2012 school year. As new leadership took over in the spring of 2012, a priority was to establish a new technology plan (5 year) that reflected current standards and best practices. This document is a year in the making and still evolving. The goal of the department is to release a final copy in the spring of 2013. 1. What is your districts vision or mission statement? Five years from now, would a visitor coming to your school see technology supporting learning and teaching? Would there be an improvement from today? Mission (Updated from original plan): Instilling 21st Century Competencies in Tomorrows Successful Global Citizens Vision (Updated from original plan): It is the vision of Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) to provide equitable access and effective use of existing and emerging technology to engage and challenge diverse learners in preparation for global citizenship in an increasingly complex information society. Creating innovative learning opportunities and monitoring student progress necessary to promote high achievement of each student Integrating research supported state of the art technologies Divisionwide to promote a World Class education Continuing to work with the community to foster public involvement with, and understanding of our educational programs Collaborating with stakeholders in the design, development, and maintenance of an effective, flexible, and reliable technology infrastructure
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I would say with guarded optimism that our technology will be even better five years from now. We are going through a transition right now where many outdated policies, procedures, and best practices are being revised and updated to reflect current and emerging trends. We are a large district and have the red tape factor that many smaller districts do not have. When I attend conferences, I see other districts doing far more with far less. I believe that we are on the right track to adopt modern best practices that will reflect our vision and mission statements. 2. Has the district established levels of proficiency in technology by grade levels? If so, are these proficiencies woven into the academic curriculum? Are they taught in separate standalone technology lessons/classes? Our technology competencies are integrated into the classroom curriculum. No technology personnel assign grades or marks of proficiency for technology standards. The classroom teacher is responsible for these evaluations. Elementary students rotate through a Computer Lab class every week but this is more of an enrichment session designed to enhance classroom instruction, not as a separate stand-alone technology learning session. Students are also measured by the Virginia Technology Standards of Learning. No formal test exist but it is expected that classroom teachers integrate these standards, as well as NET*S standards into the classroom curriculum. PWCS K-2 Technology Competencies K-2 Technology SOL PWCS 3-5 Technology Competencies 3-5 Technology SOL
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PWCS 6-8 Technology Competencies 6-8 Technology SOL PWCS 9-12 Technology Competencies 9-12 Technology SOL 3. What are some of the classroom management strategies that work with the amount of technology actually available in the classrooms? For us to effectively and efficiently integrate technology there must be clear policies and procedures in place from the operation to the administrative items that may take place behind the scenes. We have 40 iPads at our school now. When we purchased them, we had staff trainings on how to properly care for and use the devices. We expected that they do the same with their students. Many of our teachers and students have their own devices but how they see proper handling and care may be different than another person. We wanted to set consistent ground rules at the start. We have an electronic calendar for signing them out. We made sure teachers knew how to sign up for and reserve the carts. We also went over the logistics of transportation (delivery, return, charging, etc). We stressed to teachers that with computers and iPads, they will naturally deteriorate over time. If you properly monitor and hold students accountable during your time with the devices, they will last much longer. Many times teachers put students on computers or iPads as a way to get other work done. The expectation for monitoring needed to be clear. One standard that we do not have that I wish we did was the personal and financial responsibility for destruction of property. Students and parents sign an Acceptable Use Policy stating they understand all the rules but it does not have any clauses about responsibility for
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damaged items. Sure they may get reprimanded but if a student drops and iPad or breaks a computer screen, the school is out the money. I know many districts that have 1:1 initiatives have these consequences clearly spelled out and financial liability is on the students and parents. I wish we had the same. 4. Does the district have an inventory system or does one need to be developed to track the type and age of hardware? Our district does not have a formal program that tracks inventory. Every year, all Instructional and Information Technology personnel are required to submit Excel spreadsheets of all technology (hardware and software) in the building along with age and condition. Different district departments have programs for inventory. For instance, the library offices use Destiny to track their inventory. With regards to student management and information systems, we use Chancery SMS, a Pearson product. 5. Are assistive technologies available to students with special needs as well as to other students, such as English language learners, who might benefit from the use of those devices and software? While no formal regulation is in place regarding assistive technologies, academic departments may implement the use of these measures as they see fit. For example, our Special Education department purchased iPads designed specifically for use in the Special Education setting. Certain apps are downloaded on specific devices for specific children based on their needs and/or stated goals in an I.E.P. Our ESOL department has the ability to purchase specific hardware and software geared towards those goals as well. We have an approved list of hardware and software. Any hardware and software not on this list must be approved by the
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Information Technology Steering Committee. There is a process where the teacher/staff member fills out a form and local and district level IT staff review the program and approve or deny these requests. 6. What replacement cycle has been built into the plan? Will adequate funding be set aside for replacements? No formal replacement cycle is in the actual regulation for our county. There is an unwritten process of technology refreshes that take place on a 3 year cycle assuming funding is approved each year for it. The cycles are: Year 1-Adminstration/Library, Year 2-Teacher Computers, Year 3-Student Computers (on a prorated scale). For schools that may have a large amount of student computers, they may get half of them replaced by the district and the school would have to pay the balance to get the other half replaced out of their own budget. When the market dropped in 2007-2008, these refreshes were tabled and pushed off for a year. Currently, we are in the process of replacing computers that are now 4-5 years old instead of the typical 2-3. The refreshed computers are usually desktops. Schools can pay the difference (around $100-$150 per unit) to upgrade them to a laptop. 7. How does the tech plan address technology proficiencies and information literacy skills? With regards to technology proficiencies for students, please refer to section two for the links to those standards. For instructional staff there are two methods of addressing technology proficiencies. The first method relates to Instructional Technology Resource Teachers (ITRTs), which is the position I am in. Candidates for this position must submit a portfolio demonstrating mastery in a variety of ways. Once selected to the position, ITRTs must perform the following on an ongoing basis (per the job description):
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Technology Plan: PWCS

Provide instructional technology leadership Demonstrate knowledge of instructional technology applications Keep current in new and emerging technologies and their application in content areas Identify and providing technology training in school buildings Conduct staff development for school administration, instructional and support staff Collaborate and plan with teachers to provide lessons and resources for integrating technology Develop, model and co-teach appropriate curriculum based technology rich lessons with teachers and students.

Staff members must complete a technology portfolio within the first year of employment. This is a requirement of all instructional personnel in the state of Virginia. In our county, we call it the Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel, or TSIP. Employees who have taken college courses in Instructional Technology or have previous employment in the field may get this waived. All others must complete the portfolio. In is expected that all instructional personnel consult the NETS standards for information literacy skills. 8. How will the school district know whether implementation of this plan has made a positive impact on teaching and learning? All methods of evaluation are subjective in nature. Each of the accountability/implementation goals in the plan have progress measures attached to them. The following list contains all of these measures. While the list is long, there is no formal standard or measure as to what quantity or degree these standards should be met. Some of these are mandated to be completed so anything less than 100% participation will be problematic (i.e. Internet Safety regulations, Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel). They are all ongoing or annually reviewed with no clear plan if they are not met (due to the fact no degree of measurability exists).

Technology Plan: PWCS

Number of K-12 classrooms that are observed to determine the level of technology integration Number of technology-rich schools achieving higher SOL test scores Number of schools reporting that Information Technology provides timely in-depth information about the learning progress of students to Stakeholders Number of schools using PWCS EDW and other resources to assist in decision-making Number of classrooms integrating technology into curriculum Number of students mastering PWCS technology assessments Number of teachers fulfilling PWCS technology requirements Number of teachers completing technology-based professional development Number of paraprofessionals and support staff regularly attending meetings and completing technology courses Number of classrooms showing evidence of technology integration in mapping documents Number of students mastering 8th grade technology assessment Number of school division and school technology plans that contain (1) accurate information on the current status of technology that can be aggregated, (2) a needs assessment related to statewide targets (objectives), and (3) a systematic assessment plan to gauge the progress toward meeting technology planning objectives Number of school plans that contain a systematic plan for evaluating the effectiveness of technology integration implementation on teaching and learning

9. Does the plan address a time frame by which the district proposes to implement the various components of the plan? Per the plan, all goals and objectives have one of three time frames for completion: on-going, annual, or as-needed. I believe this supports my theory on many of the goals being subjective in nature. There are some components that need to be on-going by their nature (Internet Safety, provide leadership, researching current/emerging technologies, etc.). There are no set standards or criteria that measure to what degree a goal or objective is met. Because of this, I understand why there are the three distinctions for addressing a time frame for implementation.

Technology Plan: PWCS

10. Do you think this plan has addressed issues such as equity for all students? Please explain your thinking. I do not believe this plan address the issue of equity for all students. It offers many connections to the achievement gap (see question 11) but there are no specific objectives stated that related to economically disadvantaged or assistive technology. 11. Does this plan provide tools to help lower the achievement gap? Please explain your thinking. I believe the plan addresses the need to reach and impact all students. However I do not believe the plan specifically addresses how the needs will be met. For example, in the Integration section, there is an objective that refers to using technology to lower the achievement gap for students from all backgrounds. The strategies for doing this involve creating surveys and developing plans. Again, these do not address how this goal will be met. Another objective within this category is to increase graduation rates. I take this as an implied statement that technology use will close the achievement gap. The strategies listed for this objective relate to using technology enhanced lessons across the content areas. While I agree and support this strategy, it does not specifically state what strategies within those lessons will be used to meet that goal. Related to both of these examples, I believe the underlying notion is that these goals are meant to bring the bottom kids up. I am disappointed that there is no mention of how to use technology for those students performing at or above grade level. There is no mention of how to use technology to enhance a students skill level more than just meeting that objective. Granted that some objectives clearly state ..for all students, but I compare these broad
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statement to a similar one I have heard .100% of students will pass a test. Sure all students might meet that goal, but there may be a large difference in understanding and application between a student who just passes versus one who knows the material inside and out. Another objective states that all students will perform at a high level. I do not see a mention of what constitutes a high level and, if possible, what to do with students when they reach that mystical level. This again supports the notion of the clear subjectivity of the goals in the plan. 12. If you could recommend some improvements to your districts technology team regarding this plan, what would they be and why? As I stated in the introduction, our Instructional Technology department is going through a transition phase right now. The Technology Plan is being revised to comply more with current standards. This assignment verified for me the importance of stating all policies and procedures regarding technology. Too often I find myself asking our district questions on unwritten issues that would be more beneficial to have written down and clearly stated so there is no confusion on the topic. Our district is large (80,000 students) and we have over 90 schools (K-12). I understand it would be difficult to police every situation. That being said, simple things like our technology refresh schedule should be stated. This would help district officials to be more accountable with adhering to issues. The team that developed this plan did not include any school level individuals, like me, who do this job on a daily basis. As the new plan is developed, my hope is those of us, along with classroom teachers, are allowed to assist in this process.

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References
295 standards for use of telecommunications and internet technologies. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://pwcs.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/493839/File/Policies/P295.PD F?sessionid=0907cd28b6c63252a858b81aa2ba1359 Instructional technology services. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://itech.departments.pwcs.edu/

Prince william county schools technology plan. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://itech.departments.pwcs.edu/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/980798/File/P WCS%2020102011%20Tech%20Plan.pdf?sessionid=d3a30f41d75794f6356841b265b6d73e

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